Alpha AM-7000 User manual

DSM-00220-00
AM-7000
Computer Owner's
Manual
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© 2000 ALPHA MICROSYSTEMS
FIRST EDITION: May 2000
To re-order this document, request part number DSO-00220-00
FCC Notice
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a
commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a
residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own
expense.
Canadian Department of Communications Compliance Statement
This equipment does not exceed Class A limits per radio noise emissions for digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference
Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications. Operation in a residential area may cause unacceptable interference to
radio and TV reception requiring the owner or operator to take whatever steps are necessary to correct the interference.
Avis de Conformité aux Normes du Ministère des Communications du Canada
Cet équipment ne deapsse pas les limits de Classe A d'émission de bruits radioélectriques pour les appareils numeriques tels que
prescrites par le Règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique établi par le ministère des Communications du Canada. L'exploitation faite
en milleu résidential peut entrainer le brouillage des réceptions radio et tele, ce qui obligerait le propriétaire ou l'opératour à pendre les
dispositions nécessaires pour en éliminer les causes.
Battery Warning
CAUTION: Danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced. Replace only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the
manufacturer. Discard used batteries according to the manufacturer's instructions.
ATTENTION: Il y a danger d'explosion s'il y a replacement incorrect de la batterie. Remplacer uniquement avec une batterie du même
type ou d'un type recommandé par le constructeur. Mettre au rébut les batteries usagées conformément aux instructions du fabricant.
For AM-3500-E100, -E200, -E300, -E400, -E500 and AM-990-01 systems replace battery with Panasonic or Ray-O-Vac BR2325 only.
For AM-3500-E550, AM-3500-6000, AM-3500-7000, and AM-990-04 systems, replace batteries with Panasonic or Ray-O-Vac BR1225
only. Use of other batteries may present a risk of fire or explosion. Replacement batteries may be ordered from your authorized Alpha
Micro reseller.
Safety Warning
This computer contains no user-configurable components that require opening the computer case. Because the power supply in this
computer is capable of outputting high current levels hazardous to your safety, the computer case should only be opened by an
authorized service technician.
Cet ordinateur ne contient aucune pièce configurable par l’utilisateur qui nécessite l’ouverture du boitier. L’alimentation de cet
ordinateur peut preduire des nivaeux de tensions dangereux, le boitier ne devrait donc être ouvert que par un technician autoriaé.
SOFTWARE SECURITY DEVICE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: _________________
The Alpha Micro Software Security Device (SSD) is a customized integrated circuit that personalizes the computer, providing identity
verification for it. Certain Alpha Micro and non-Alpha Micro software may require that your computer contain an SSD in order to run
software that has been customized to run only on your computer.
Please enter the identification of your SSD above. The SSD identification number should be on your computer ID label under "SSD
Serial No." (Another way of finding the number is to look at the SSD itself. The SSD is located in an integrated circuit location on the
CPU board; its identification number is printed on the SSD itself.) Software vendors may ask you for the SSD number if they are
customizing software to run only on your computer.
This document may contain references to products covered under the following U.S. Patent Number(s): 4,530,048
ALPHA MICROSYSTEMS
2722 Fairview Street
Santa Ana, CA 92704

AM-7000 Computer Owner's Manual, Rev. 00
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 -INTRODUCING THE AM-7000 COMPUTER.......................................................1-1
ABOUT THIS BOOK ......................................................................................................................1-2
Graphics Conventions ...................................................................................................................1-2
SYSTEM FEATURES.....................................................................................................................1-3
AM-319-20 System Board ............................................................................................................1-3
AM-176-10 Board ........................................................................................................................1-4
Processor......................................................................................................................................1-4
Memory........................................................................................................................................1-4
Cache Memory..............................................................................................................................1-4
CMOS Menu Setup.......................................................................................................................1-4
SCSI Configuration.......................................................................................................................1-5
SCSI Dispatcher Software.............................................................................................................1-7
Serial I/O Capability.....................................................................................................................1-8
Four High-Speed Parallel Printer Ports..........................................................................................1-8
Network Hardware........................................................................................................................1-9
UPS Monitoring............................................................................................................................1-9
Front Panel Status Display..........................................................................................................1-10
Real Time Clock.........................................................................................................................1-10
Rear I/O Panel............................................................................................................................1-10
Add-On Equipment .....................................................................................................................1-10
SOFTWARE FEATURES..............................................................................................................1-10
SERVICE INFORMATION...........................................................................................................1-11
For Further Assistance................................................................................................................1-12
CHAPTER 2 -INSTALLATION.......................................................................................................2-1
UNPACKING GUIDELINES...........................................................................................................2-1
What You Will Need.....................................................................................................................2-1
Reporting Shipping Damage..........................................................................................................2-2
Instructions for Reshipping the Computer......................................................................................2-2
RECORDING THE SSD IDENTIFICATION NUMBER.................................................................2-2
OVERVIEW OF INSTALLATION PROCEDURES........................................................................2-3
Front Panel Controls and Indicators...............................................................................................2-3
AM-7000 Rear I/O Panel Configurations.......................................................................................2-4
PREPARING THE SITE..................................................................................................................2-6
Physical Requirements ..................................................................................................................2-6
Environmental Requirements.........................................................................................................2-6
Environmental Specifications.........................................................................................................2-7
Static Electricity and Grounding....................................................................................................2-7
POWER AND CABLE CONNECTIONS.........................................................................................2-7
Power Supply AC Voltage and Receptacle.....................................................................................2-8

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AM-7000 Computer Owner's Manual, Rev. 00
Verifying Voltage Compatibility....................................................................................................2-8
Turning the Computer On..............................................................................................................2-9
INSTALLING THE OPERATOR TERMINAL................................................................................2-9
Setting the Terminal's Baud Rate and Parameters.........................................................................2-10
Connecting the Cable ..................................................................................................................2-10
INITIAL TESTING........................................................................................................................2-11
BOOTING UP UNDER AMOS......................................................................................................2-11
INSTALLING ALPHA MICRO SOFTWARE...............................................................................2-11
THE WARM BOOT MONITOR....................................................................................................2-12
TURNING THE COMPUTER OFF...............................................................................................2-12
EXPANDING YOUR COMPUTER...............................................................................................2-13
GETTING ASSISTANCE..............................................................................................................2-13
CHAPTER 3 -GETTING STARTED................................................................................................3-1
BOOTING THE COMPUTER.........................................................................................................3-1
AM-7000 FLASH MEMORY BOOTING OPTION..........................................................................3-2
AM-7000 CMOS SETUP PROCEDURE .........................................................................................3-2
AM-7000 Initialization Routine.....................................................................................................3-2
CMOS Menu Options ...................................................................................................................3-2
Saving the CMOS Settings............................................................................................................3-5
Important Note..............................................................................................................................3-5
DEVICE NAMES ............................................................................................................................3-5
The System Disk...........................................................................................................................3-6
DISK ACCOUNTS ..........................................................................................................................3-7
LOGGING ON.................................................................................................................................3-8
THE TERMINAL KEYBOARD ......................................................................................................3-8
Correcting Typing Mistakes ..........................................................................................................3-9
A WORD ABOUT DISKETTES....................................................................................................3-10
Using Diskettes...........................................................................................................................3-11
Mounting Diskettes.....................................................................................................................3-12
ABOUT STREAMING TAPE........................................................................................................3-12
Tape Capacity.............................................................................................................................3-13
¼" Tape Drive Read/Write Compatibility....................................................................................3-13
Loading and Unloading Tape Cartridges......................................................................................3-14
USING A DAT DRIVE..................................................................................................................3-14
CHAPTER 4 -WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE?..........................................................................4-1
INTRODUCTION TO AMOS SOFTWARE....................................................................................4-1
The Operating System, AMOS......................................................................................................4-1
Programming Languages...............................................................................................................4-1
Networking...................................................................................................................................4-1
Text Preparation...........................................................................................................................4-2
Utility Programs............................................................................................................................4-2
Application Programs....................................................................................................................4-2
Office Information Products..........................................................................................................4-2
ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION...............................................................................................4-3

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AM-7000 Computer Owner's Manual, Rev. 00
"I Want To Start At The Beginning"..............................................................................................4-3
"I Want To Learn How To Maintain My Computer"......................................................................4-3
"I Want To Do Text Processing"...................................................................................................4-4
"I Want To Write Computer Programs".........................................................................................4-4
CHAPTER 5 -SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION.................................................................................5-1
BACKING UP YOUR DATA ..........................................................................................................5-1
DISK ACCOUNTS ..........................................................................................................................5-2
Passwords.....................................................................................................................................5-2
Organizing the Disk ......................................................................................................................5-2
Adding New Accounts...................................................................................................................5-3
MODIFYING THE SYSTEM INITIALIZATION FILE...................................................................5-4
Defining the AM-7000 Parallel Ports.............................................................................................5-5
Adding Jobs..................................................................................................................................5-6
Changing User Memory ................................................................................................................5-7
ANALYZING THE DISK................................................................................................................5-8
The REDALL Command...............................................................................................................5-9
The DSKANA Command..............................................................................................................5-9
DSKANA Options......................................................................................................................5-10
The CHECK Option and Automatic Backups ..............................................................................5-11
FORMATTING AND INITIALIZING THE HARD DRIVE ..........................................................5-11
FORMATTING AND INITIALIZING A DISKETTE....................................................................5-12
NETWORK STATISTICS.............................................................................................................5-13
CHAPTER 6 -PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE .............................................................................6-1
DISKETTES....................................................................................................................................6-1
CARE OF STREAMING TAPE AND DAT CARTRIDGES............................................................6-1
DISKETTE DRIVE..........................................................................................................................6-2
¼" STREAMING TAPE DRIVE CLEANING .................................................................................6-2
DAT DRIVE CLEANING................................................................................................................6-2
MAIN ENCLOSURE.......................................................................................................................6-3
CHAPTER 7 -TROUBLESHOOTING PROCEDURES..................................................................7-1
THE SYMPTOMS...........................................................................................................................7-1
THE TROUBLESHOOTING PROCEDURES.................................................................................7-2
Procedure #1: Check Power/Run/Memory Lights...........................................................................7-2
Procedure #2: Check the Computer Status Codes...........................................................................7-4
Procedure #3: Powerup/Reset........................................................................................................7-5
Procedure #4: Check Terminal/Printer...........................................................................................7-6
Procedure #5: Self Test.................................................................................................................7-8
Procedure #6: Alternate Boot.......................................................................................................7-10
CHAPTER 8 -STATUS DISPLAY CODES......................................................................................8-1
FRONT PANEL STATUS DISPLAY CODES.................................................................................8-1

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AM-7000 Computer Owner's Manual, Rev. 00
SELF TEST FEATURE...................................................................................................................8-6
APPENDIX A -CONNECTOR CONFIGURATIONS ....................................................................A-1
SERIAL I/O CONNECTORS..........................................................................................................A-1
WHAT IS RS-232? ......................................................................................................................... A-1
IMPORTANT NOTE......................................................................................................................A-2
CABLE CONSTRUCTION GUIDELINES..................................................................................... A-2
Cable Length................................................................................................................................A-2
Cable Type..................................................................................................................................A-2
Cable Shielding............................................................................................................................A-3
RS-232 DB-9 CONNECTOR SIGNALS.........................................................................................A-4
RS-232 DB-9 to DB-25 Terminal Cables .....................................................................................A-4
Workstation Connection Cables....................................................................................................A-6
RS-232 RJ-45 TO DB-25 CABLES FOR TERMINALS AND PRINTERS.....................................A-7
PARALLEL PRINTER PORTS......................................................................................................A-8
AM-7000 UPS STATUS PORT ......................................................................................................A-9
ETHERNET RJ-45 10 AND 10 / 100 BASET CONNECTOR ........................................................A-9
10/100BaseT Topology and Cabling.............................................................................................A-9
APPENDIX B -THE CONTROL CHARACTERS.......................................................................... B-1
APPENDIX C -SUPER I/O...............................................................................................................C-1
DISABLING SUPER I/O................................................................................................................ C-1
Disabling Super I/O on All I/O Boards......................................................................................... C-1
Disabling Super I/O on Individual AM-359 Boards....................................................................... C-2
APPENDIX D -SCSI TERMINATION............................................................................................D-1
SCSI TERMINATION USING EXTERNAL TERMINATOR OPTION.........................................D-1
ATTACHING EXTERNAL DEVICES...........................................................................................D-2
TERMINATOR POWER................................................................................................................D-2
APPENDIX E -READ-AHEAD AND WRITE BUFFERING ......................................................... E-1
INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................E-1
READ-AHEAD................................................................................................................................E-1
Controlling Read-Ahead................................................................................................................E-2
WRITE BUFFERING ......................................................................................................................E-2
Potential Pitfalls............................................................................................................................E-3
Setting Up Write Buffering............................................................................................................E-3
FINAL NOTES................................................................................................................................E-4
APPENDIX F -BOOT MESSAGES..................................................................................................F-1

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AM-7000 Computer Owner's Manual, Rev. 00
APPENDIX G -FLASH MEMORY BOOTING OPTION DETAILS............................................G-1
FLASH MEMORY ORGANIZATION............................................................................................G-1
FLASH MEMORY OPERATION...................................................................................................G-1
BOOTING FROM THE AM-7000 FLASH MEMORY...................................................................G-2
STANDARD AM7000.INI CONTENTS.........................................................................................G-2
ENHANCING FLASH MEMORY CONTENTS.............................................................................G-3
File NETWRK.............................................................................................................................G-3
File RESOLV. .............................................................................................................................G-3
File CONFIG. (optional)..............................................................................................................G-3
FLASH MEMORY CONTENTS ....................................................................................................G-3
Monitors......................................................................................................................................G-3
INIs.............................................................................................................................................G-3
Device drivers for the following:...................................................................................................G-4
FLUTIL SOFTWARE UTILITY.....................................................................................................G-4
Flash memory Update...................................................................................................................G-4
APPENDIX H -STANDARD FLASH & DISK INIS.......................................................................H-1
HARD DISK INI FILES..................................................................................................................H-1
AM7000.INI................................................................................................................................H-1
AMOS32.INI...............................................................................................................................H-2
FLASH DISK INI FILES................................................................................................................H-4
SINGLE INI................................................................................................................................H-4
AM-7000 INI...............................................................................................................................H-4
AMOS32.INI...............................................................................................................................H-5

AM-7000 Computer Owner's Manual, Rev. 00
List of Illustrations
Figure 1-1: AM-7000 in Deskside Chassis............................................................................................1-1
Figure 2-1: Front Panel Controls and Indicators (deskside chassis).......................................................2-4
Figure 2-3: AM-7000 Rear Panel Configuration (Deskside Chassis).....................................................2-5
Figure 2-5: AM-7000 Boot Port Location...........................................................................................2-10
Figure 3-1: 3.5" Diskette....................................................................................................................3-11
Figure 3-2: Inserting a 3.5" Diskette...................................................................................................3-12
Figure 3-3: DAT Tape Drive. .............................................................................................................3-15
Figure A-1: Shielding a Cable.............................................................................................................A-3
Figure D-1: Active External Terminator Installation............................................................................D-1
Figure G-1: AM-7000 Flash Boot Memory Map .................................................................................G-1
List ofTables
Table 1-1: Graphics Conventions..........................................................................................................1-3
Table 1-2: Dispatcher Switch Table......................................................................................................1-8
Table 2-1: Environmental Specifications..............................................................................................2-7
Table 3-1: Special Function Keys on the Terminal Keyboard ...............................................................3-9
Table 3-2: Supported ¼" Streamer Data Cartridges.............................................................................3-13
Table 7-1: Self Test Checker (1)...........................................................................................................7-9
Table 7-2: Self Test Checker (2).........................................................................................................7-10
Table 8-1: Front Panel Status Codes.....................................................................................................8-2
Table A-1: Rear Panel DB-9 Connector Signals ..................................................................................A-4
Table A-2: Pinouts for RS-232 Terminal-to-Computer Cables.............................................................A-5
Table A-3: Pinouts for Workstation to Computer Cable - IBM PC/AT and Compatibles .....................A-6
Table A-4: Pinouts for Workstation to Computer Cable - IBM PC/XT and Compatibles .....................A-6
Table A-5: RS-232 RJ-45 to DB-25 Connector Signals .......................................................................A-7
Table A-6: Centronics Interface Cabling Signal Pinouts ......................................................................A-8
Table A-7: AM-7000 UPS Status Port Signal Pinouts ........................................................................A-9
Table A-8: 10/100BaseT (RJ-45) Connector Signals..........................................................................A-10

AM-7000 Computer Owner's Manual, Rev. 00
Chapter 1 - Introducing the
AM-7000 Computer
The Alpha Microsystems AM-7000 is a high-performance computer designed for a wide range of
applications in business headquarters, departmental facilities, and professional offices. With power to
support many users simultaneously, in local or networked configurations, the AM-7000 lends itself to
virtually any business data processing environment.
The AM-7000 is constructed in modular fashion. Your organization can start with just the features and
capacity needed, then expand the system as processing demands increase. The system can be field
upgraded to provide more disk storage, memory, and tape backup capacity; to add more local
cable-connected terminals and printers; to exchange data over a local area network with personal
computers and other data processing systems; and to communicate through modems with remote data
centers.
The AM-7000, shown in Figure 1-1 below, is housed in a compact enclosure that fits neatly next to a
desk.
Figure 1-1: AM-7000 in Deskside Chassis

Page 1-2 Chapter One
AM-7000 Computer Owner's Manual, Rev. 00
For configurations requiring more peripheral devices and /or more serial input/output connections, the
AM-3501 is available as an expansion unit to the AM-7000, providing expansion capability in a
matching deskside enclosure.
ABOUT THIS BOOK
The purpose of this book is to get you started with your computer. After you've followed the instructions
in this book, your computer will be set up and running. And, you will have a good idea of where to go
next for information on the software you want to use.
•This chapter contains a software and hardware overview of your system. It also discusses the
configurations available, as well as warranty and service information.
•Chapter 2 tells you how to unpack and set up your computer. It also contains information on
choosing an installation site.
•Chapter 3 discusses turning on and resetting the computer, using the terminal keyboard,
diskettes, streamer tape, DAT tape, and turning the computer off.
•Chapter 4 is an overview of the various software available for your computer, and lists the Alpha
Micro documentation you can order to learn more about each subject.
•Chapter 5 discusses the use of some computer maintenance utility programs. It shows how to
allocate system resources by entering the system initialization file commands to set up terminals
and jobs for multi-user operation.
•Chapter 6 contains information on the caring for your computer.
•Chapter 7 is a handbook of troubleshooting procedures you can follow to isolate a problem
should something go wrong with your computer.
•Chapter 8 lists the computer status codes you may see on the front panel display.
•Several appendices contain technical information, including instructions for cable construction
and installation.
The AM-7000 Service Manual contains additional information on opening and configuring your
computer. The service manual is intended for authorized technical personnel only.
Graphics Conventions
Like other documents in the Alpha Micro documentation library, this book contains a number of standard
symbols to make our text easier to read and understand.

Introducing the AM-7000 Computer Page 1-3
AM-7000 Computer Owner's Manual, Rev. 00
Symbol Description
This symbol means STOP!, and signals an important
warning or restriction you must know about before
continuing.
This symbol marks a hint, and identifies a shortcut or an
easier way to do something.
This symbol says "Don't forget!" and signals information to
remember.
Text Text that looks like this in our examples shows the
characters the computer displays on your terminal screen,
such as prompts and information messages.
TEXT Text that looks like this in our examples shows the
characters you type on the computer keyboard.
KEY This symbol tells you when to press the indicated key on
your terminal keyboard. For example: DIR RETURN tells
you to press the RETURN key at the end of the DIR
command.
CTRL /CThis combination of symbols tells you to hold down the
first key and press the second key. For example, to type a
CTRL /C(Control-C), press the CTRL key and, while
holding it down, press the Ckey.
Table 1-1: Graphics Conventions
SYSTEM FEATURES
The AM-7000 uses a two-board combination, the AM-176-10 and the AM-319-20 boards, to provide
new levels of performance and added versatility. There are a number of physical components that go into
the construction of your AM-7000 computer which provide the ability to process, input, display, and
store data. The following sections highlight some of these components. For technical information on
these devices, refer to the specification sheet supplied with your computer.
AM-319-20 System Board
The AM-319-20 system board provides the AM-7000 with:
•Four on-board serial I/O ports (with modem control)
•Supporting logic for four parallel high-performance FIFO ports
•SSD (Software Security Device) chip
•Ethernet port, with AUI (DB-15) and 10BaseT connectors
•UPS monitoring port for switch-contact type functions, such as power failure and low battery
•Two paddle card buses for connecting up to 32 serial I/O cards

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AM-7000 Computer Owner's Manual, Rev. 00
•Battery backed CMOS containing several boot routines that enable you to change the I/O device
the computer boots from
AM-176-10 Board
The AM-176-10 board provides the AM-7000 with:
•4GB of direct memory addressability
•128KB external level two cache memory
•8KB on-chip processor instruction cache memory and 8KB of data cache
•On-board 100BaseT Ethernet controller with 32-bit DMA transfer capability
•Four on-board single inline memory module (SIMM) expansion slots, which support 60ns EDO
RAMs for up to 512MB of memory
•UltraSCSI controller with Wide SCSI interface
•Up to 8MB flash memory
Processor
The heart of your computer is its powerful CPU (Central Processing Unit), a high speed 32-bit
microprocessor. AM-7000 computers have an MC68060 processor running at 75MHz.
Memory
The AM-176-10 board in the AM-7000 has four sockets in which main memory SIMMs (Single Inline
Memory Modules) are installed. You must always install SIMMs in pairs of equal capacity. The AM-
7000 supports a minimum of 32MB and a maximum of 512MB. Always use PFB-00713-xx 60ns
SIMMs.
See the specification sheet included with your computer for more detailed information on memory
capacity, and the AM-7000 Computer Service Manual for instructions on installing it.
Cache Memory
To streamline the use of repetitive instructions within a program and to decrease retrieval time, the AM-
176-10 board contains an external combined instruction and data cache. This cache improves the overall
system performance by reducing the number of clock cycles required by the processor to fetch
information from memory. In addition, the CPU has an 8KB instruction cache and an 8KB data cache.
CMOS Menu Setup
The CMOS setup procedure gives you many boot options, including:
•Selection of any hard disk ID number as the primary boot disk (unit #0 - 6). In the case of the
Wide SCSI interface coupled with Wide SCSI peripherals, you can also select unit #8 - 15*.

Introducing the AM-7000 Computer Page 1-5
AM-7000 Computer Owner's Manual, Rev. 00
•Selection of any tape device as an alternate boot device (unit #1 - 6). In the case of the Wide
SCSI interface coupled with Wide SCSI peripherals, you can also select unit #8 - 15*.
•Operator entry to boot the system with any valid monitor and/or initialization file name, located
in [1,4] of the first logical of the selected physical boot device
•Selection between the AM-319-20 AUI or TPI port for Ethernet connection
* SCSI ID 7 is reserved for the host.
SCSI Configuration
The AM-7000 contains a Wide SCSI-2 bus. The Wide SCSI bus offers higher performance when used
with wide SCSI-2 or Ultra SCSI drives. Using the proper adapters, you can attach both wide and narrow
devices—disk drives, tape drives, and SCSI diskette drives—to the Wide bus. However, using narrow
devices on the Wide bus may affect the performance of wide drives on the bus.
The number of devices you can attach to the SCSI bus can be limited by three factors: the legal number
of SCSI IDs, cabling limitations—total length and device spacing—and the number of drive bays
available in the chassis. After a discussion of the type of SCSI devices you can use, the following
sections describe configuration rules for the SCSI bus, including mixing device types and termination
issues.
Never plug a SCSI device into the SCSI cable, or remove one from the cable, while system power
is on. Doing so could seriously damage the device and/or the CPU board. The AM-7000 uses
tolerant active negation on the SCSI bus, which makes the bus more sensitive in these situations
than on previous Alpha Micro computers.
SCSI Device Types
You can attach any supported SCSI device to the Wide SCSI bus, using the appropriate adapter if
necessary, as described below. Supported devices include:
•Narrow, wide and UltraSCSI disk drives
•¼” streaming tape drives with capacities up to 26GB
•4mm DAT (Digital Audio Tape) drives
•The AM-446 RAID subsystem for the safety of redundant data storage
•The AM-642 StoP (SCSI to Pertec) converter to use ½” magnetic tape as a SCSI device
•CD-ROM drives
•3.5” SCSI diskette drives.
Wide SCSI Configuration Rules
The Wide SCSI bus allows up to 15 SCSI IDs, so the limiting factors are the number of device bays in
the chassis and, especially, cabling considerations. Because of the high performance of the Wide bus, it
is critical to follow the cabling specification strictly, or performance and reliability will suffer.

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AM-7000 Computer Owner's Manual, Rev. 00
The two cabling specifications which affect the total number of devices are:
•The total length of the cable cannot exceed three meters (approximately 10 feet).
•Each device must be separated on the SCSI cable by at least one foot (approximately).
The standard internal wide SCSI cable for the AM-7000 ensures adequate space between internal devices.
It allows up to five internal SCSI devices, plus the external connector. While this connector is normally
used for an active terminator, you can attach an external cable to another SCSI device. To remain within
the specification, the maximum length of the external cable is three feet. In practice, this normally means
only one external device is possible. If you need a longer external cable, use a repeater, as described
below.
To summarize, unless you use a repeater, the AM-7000’s Wide SCSI bus supports up to five internal
devices and one external device.
If you are attaching an external device, especially if it is a narrow device, be sure to read the section on
Wide Bus Termination, below.
The Wide SCSI Repeater
As mentioned above, the total allowable bus length for the Wide SCSI bus is 10 feet. This can be very
limiting, especially in configurations which require more than one external device. The AM-441 Wide
SCSI Bus Repeater attaches to the end of the AM-7000’s internal SCSI cable. In effect, it starts a new
physical bus: from the repeater, you can have up to ten additional feet of bus cable.
Allowing for the internal cable from the repeater to the external SCSI port, the AM-441 lets you have up
to eight feet of external wide SCSI cabling, with as many devices as you can physically attach, obeying
the specification of at least one foot between each two devices.
The AM-441 occupies an internal 5.25” drive bay. Since there are six available bays (three of them
5.25”) and only five available connectors on the internal SCSI cable, this does not reduce the number of
internal SCSI devices you can use (the AM-441 attaches to the connector which is normally used for the
external port, so it does not take up an internal drive connector).
Narrow Devices on the Wide Bus
You can attach any narrow SCSI device to the Wide bus by using a 50-pin to 68-pin adapter, PDB-
00440-91, between the device and the cable connector. However, if you use both a narrow and a wide
disk drive, the narrow drive’s lower transfer rate slows down the entire bus, causing the wide drive to
lose its performance advantage. For best results, we recommend using only wide disk drives on the Wide
bus.
On the internal cable, the order of wide and narrow devices does not matter. If you use both wide and
narrow external devices, the narrow device(s) must be the last device(s) on the external cable. See the
next section on how to properly terminate the bus if you have narrow external devices.

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Wide Bus Termination
When terminating the Wide SCSI bus, keep two things in mind:
•All 16 lines of the bus must be terminated.
•Termination must be active.
If you have only internal SCSI devices, termination is simple: just make sure the external active
terminator supplied with the AM-7000 is installed properly. Similarly, if you have only wide external
devices, simply remove the terminator from the external port on the chassis and place it in the unused
connector on the last device on the external cable.
When you have a narrow external SCSI device, such as a CD-ROM drive, termination becomes slightly
more complicated. As stated above, any narrow external device must be the last device on the cable,
beyond any wide external devices. You must terminate the “high” nine lines of the Wide bus before the
first external narrow device, and the rest of the bus signals at the last device. To do this:
1. Between the last wide device and the first narrow device (if you have only narrow external
devices, between the external wide connector and the first narrow device), you must use a wide-
to-narrow cable which actively terminates the high nine lines. Alpha Micro offers two such
cables: PDB-00440-80 (3 ft.) and PDB-00440-81 (6 ft.). You cannot use the six-foot cable unless
you are using the AM-441Wide SCSI Bus Repeater.
2. Plug an active narrow terminator into the unused SCSI connector on the last narrow device. One
is available from Alpha Micro, part number PRA-00222-21.
In this configuration, the external wide terminator included with the AM-7000 is not used.
SCSI Dispatcher Software
The AM-7000 includes new SCSI dispatcher software, which controls all SCSI devices in the system.
The SCSI dispatcher is set up in the system initialization command file. The following AM-7000 specific
commands are added to the INI file after the JOBALC statements, but before the first DEVTBL
statement:
PCI7K.LIT
SCZDSP SCZ7K.SYS/EW:0/ET/EU
For example:
:T
JOBS 1
JOBALC JOB1
;
TRMDEF TERM1,A31810=0:19200,AM62A,100,100,100,EDITOR=15
VER
PCI7K.LIT
SCZDSP SCZ7K.SYS/EW:0/ET/EU
;
DEVTBL DSK1,DSK2
The SCZ7K dispatcher supports several option switches, as shown in the following table:

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Switch Description
/ET Enable tolerant active negation of host CPU SCSI port
/EU Enable ultra SCSI mode for maximum wide SCSI performance.
Use this switch only when using the /ET switch.
/EW
/EW:{id#}
Enable Wide SCSI negotiation for all devices
Enable Wide SCSI negotiation for SCSI device ID#
/NQ
/NQ:{id#}
Disable Command Queuing for all devices
Disable Command Queuing for SCSI device ID#
/NS
/NS:{id#}
Disable Synchronous Negotiation for all devices
Disable Synchronous Negotiation for SCSI device ID#
/NP Disable Parity Checking (Parity still generated) on all devices
Table 1-2: Dispatcher Switch Table
The most common of these switches is /EW, to enable Wide SCSI operation when using the
optional Wide SCSI bus. For example, if you have the Wide SCSI cabling option installed and a
Wide SCSI disk drive at ID 0 of the wide bus, and non-wide devices at other IDs, enter this
statement to enable Wide SCSI operation for just that drive:
SCZDSP SCZ7K/EW:0/ET/EU
If you have both Wide and narrow SCSI devices attached to the wide bus, enable Wide SCSI
operation only for the wide devices. Use /EW without a device ID (to enable wide operation for
the entire bus) only if all devices on the bus, both disk and tape drives, are Wide SCSI devices.
Do not use the /EW switch with the narrow SCSI bus, even if you have Wide SCSI
devices attached to the bus using the appropriate adapters. Also, when using the /ET
switch, make sure you do NOT attach or remove SCSI peripherals to the SCSI bus with
power on - this can damage the SCSI bus circuitry.
Serial I/O Capability
The AM-319-20 board provides four serial ports, implemented as RJ-45 connectors. These serial ports
provide standard RS-232 serial I/O communication. The RJ-45 ports are pin-for-pin compatible with the
AM-359 serial I/O paddle card ports, so the same type cabling can be used for both. These on-board ports
must use the A31810.IDV interface driver, and are assigned port numbers 0-3. Refer to Appendix A for
Serial I/O cabling information.
Four High-Speed Parallel Printer Ports
AM-7000 computers have four on-board, high-speed, parallel printer ports that use the SEP.DVR
interface driver. The ports are Centronics compatible and use 25-pin shielded connectors. See Appendix
A for the 25-pin parallel connector signal pinouts.

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To insure the reliability and performance of your parallel ports, avoid using parallel printer cables
longer than six feet.
Network Hardware
Both the AM-176-10 and the AM-319-20 boards have Ethernet interfaces:
•The AM-176-10 board has one high-performance 10 / 100 Base T Ethernet port which uses a
shielded RJ-45 connector. You do not need to indicate this preference on the CMOS menu.
However, to use this port, you'll need Alpha Micro's networking software, AlphaTCP, which is
included with AMOS 2.3A and later. The driver for this port is only TCP compatible; but ITC
tunneling is supported. If AlphaTCP has not been included on your AM-7000, you can obtain it
from your dealer via the Alpha Micro software bulletin board (http://tabbs.alphamicro.com), or
from ACD8: on the latest AlphaCD.
•The AM-319-20 board has two connectors: a DB-15 AUI interface and a 10BaseT connector. To
use the Ethernet ports on the AM-319-20, indicate your preference in the CMOS Menu.
We recommend you use the Ethernet port on the AM-176-10 board. It is more efficient than the AM-319-
20 ports because it consumes less CPU overhead, and provides 100BaseT capability. The two ports on
the AM-319-20 provide you with built-in back-up Ethernet connections.
The following SYSTEM statements are incorporated into the system initialization command file to
configure your Ethernet hardware described above:
If you are using the 10/100 Base T Ethernet port on the AM-7000 CPU board, as recommended above,
use this statement:
SYSTEM DVR:PCILSI.LDV/N/H/T:100/R:100 ;100BaseT
or
SYSTEM DVR:PCILSI.LDV/N/T:100/R:100 ;10BaseT
If you are using the AUI or TPI port on the AM-319-20, use this statement:
SYSTEM DVR:AM319S.LDV/N
UPS Monitoring
The AM-319-20 board has an on-board dedicated DB-9 UPS port. This port is a switch contact status
port, used by the Toshiba UPS products sold by Alpha Micro. This port connects to the UPS and can
control (turn off) the disk write cache during a low battery and AC power fail condition. This function
flushes all pending writes to disk, thereby reducing the chances of large-scale data loss when power is
finally lost. When the power is restored, the UPS flags the system and the disk write caching is
automatically re-enabled. A separate connection from the UPS to an RS-232 serial port is required for
monitoring functions, such as load, voltage, and fault status.

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Front Panel Status Display
The two hexadecimal digit status display on the front panel lets you know what is going on inside the
computer even when no messages appear on your terminal. Some normal functions of the machine (e.g.,
clearing memory when the computer boots) cause codes to appear on the display, as do certain system
errors.
In addition, the self test uses the status display to let you know how it is progressing, and if any errors
have occurred. The self test checks the major hardware components in the computer for proper operation,
including memory, disk controllers and drives, the interval timer, and the serial I/O ports.
For information on all meaningful codes that can appear on the front panel display, see Chapter 8, "Status
Display Codes." For information on using the self test, see the Self Test User's Guide, DSO-00157-00,
that came with your computer.
Real Time Clock
The system has a Real Time Clock chip which is part of the CMOS system setup. Both the CMOS boot
settings and the time and date are battery backed-up. The Real Time Clock’s battery-backup provides a
high level of time, date, and CMOS protection against corruption by a malfunctioning program.
Rear I/O Panel
The AM-7000 rear panel supports a minimum of four DB-25 parallel printer ports and seven paddle
board SIO expansion slots. The main system board provides four on-board RJ-45 serial ports, a 9-pin
UPS port, and Ethernet connectors. The optional AM-3501 and AM-905 expansion chasses provide space
for additional peripheral devices or serial I/O connections.
Add-On Equipment
The only thing you need to add is a terminal. It allows you to input and display the data processed and
stored by the components discussed above. You will probably want to also add a printer to provide
printed copies of your data. Your Value Added Reseller (VAR) may have provided these items as part of
your computer purchase.
If you want to expand your computer in the future by adding additional storage and backup devices, see
the AM-7000 Service Manual for a diagram of where additional peripherals should be located in your
cabinet.
SOFTWARE FEATURES
Computer hardware is all potential and no action until the software programs instruct it to do something.
Some of the features of the standard system software are listed below. Your VAR can provide software
packages specifically suited to your needs, such as accounting software, programming languages,
mathematical packages, and so on. Those packages are not included in this list. See your VAR for
information on service and support for such packages.

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•The operating system, AMOS, performs many functions, one of which is to manage the
computer's resources so multiple users can run on the computer at the same time. The operating
system also includes all support software for the hardware devices mentioned above.
•AlphaTCP allows your Alpha Micro computer to communicate using the increasingly popular
TCP/IP protocol. This software allows you to connect to the Internet, send and receive mail, and
transfer files.
•Programs called "print spoolers" let you use one or more printers at the same time without tying
up a user terminal.
•The Task Manager lets you schedule multiple background tasks to run without operator control at
preset times and dates.
•A sophisticated command language allows you to invoke a stream of commands and program
input (predefined by you) by entering a single command.
•The business-oriented AlphaBASIC and AlphaBASIC PLUS programming languages are
uniquely suited to the programming of business applications software packages.
•ISAM (Indexed Sequential Access Method) Plus, a machine language file management system
callable from AlphaBASIC or assembly language programs, provides a method for quick
information organization and retrieval.
•A screen-oriented text editor provides an easy-to-use tool for creating documents.
•A text formatting program aids in document preparation.
•A simple system initialization procedure allows you to quickly change the types of peripheral
devices connected to the computer, change user memory allocations, and customize the computer
to your exact needs.
•Support for many different kinds of printers and terminals gives you the ability to define your
own type of terminal or printer to the computer.
For an introduction to AMOS software, refer to Chapter 4, "Where Do I Go from Here?" Chapter 4 also
provides a list of additional documentation available from Alpha Micro to assist you with specific
information in your area of interest.
SERVICE INFORMATION
Alpha Micro provides a comprehensive post-sales service and support program for its entire product line.
Our VAR network is structured to provide you with immediate access to support assistance and
information.
Our customer commitment is maintained through the expertise and skills of our competent, professional
staff whose dedication assures all Alpha Micro customers the maximum benefits of quality support.
Alpha Micro warrants its products through our VAR network. Alpha Micro will repair or replace a
defective product under warranty without cost to the purchaser. Should you wish to arrange for factory
warranty service for your equipment, you should obtain a Return Authorization Number from the Alpha
Micro Technical Assistance Center. To arrange for on-site warranty service at your location, contact your
Alpha Micro VAR or AMSO service organization.

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In addition to the warranty service provided, support is available through Alpha Microsystems Service
Operations (AMSO), our nationwide field service organization. AMSO provides direct repair services to
Alpha Micro computer owners. Alpha Micro Field Engineers are factory trained to ensure continuity of
product servicing. Should you select hardware service from your servicing Alpha Micro VAR, you can
be assured he or she is backed by, and in close touch with, Alpha Micro for full factory support.
For Further Assistance
If you are unable to contact your VAR, Alpha Micro will be glad to refer you to one. If you relocate and
want to learn the name and address of an Alpha Micro dealer near you, please write or call Alpha Micro.
For information and the location of the Alpha Micro service location nearest you, call our toll free service
number [phone].